Is This a Date?
by LuckyBlackCat
Summary: Some Reyn/Sharla fluff. Sharla is working too hard so Reyn convinces her a picnic in the park is a good idea. Set post game. End game spoilers.


**A/N Thanks to everyone who's commented on my previous fics! Have some Reyn/Sharla fluff :) End of game SPOILERS. Hope you enjoy x**

**Disclaimer: Xenoblade belongs to Monolith Soft.**

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"Reyn. I. Do not. Have time. For this."

Sharla, bulging medical bag over one shoulder, jabbed an indignant finger in his direction. Reyn persisted.

"Come on, Sharla. Take a break. Relax. There's no need to work so hard."

"...according to you, there's no need to work at all..."

"Oi! I've done loads of work. Ask Dunban."

"I haven't_ seen _Dunban. He's too busy. _I'm_ too busy!"

The Colony 9 restoration was well underway. Melia and Vanea in particular had positively thrown themselves into it in order to escape their grief. Reyn, being smarter than he looked, had tried to distract Melia but to no avail. She was far too stubborn and not above firing ether in Reyn's direction if he plagued her for too long. Sharla, on the other hand, was much more easily persuaded.

"Come to the park with me. I even used up my savings to buy us a picnic..." Reyn said temptingly. He showed her the contents of the bag he was carrying. Bread and fish and potato.

Sharla hovered, undecided. The other medics would surely miss her. The makeshift hospital was always desperately busy.

There were kids with bumped heads and scraped knees. There were the elderly with cuts that wouldn't stop bleeding and aching joints. Sharla was their Homs specialist but every day she learned a little more about Half High Entia, Nopon and Machina biology. A Half High Entia's heartbeat is slow compared to a Homs and a Machina's even slower. Half High Entia can hear far better than the Homs and the Nopon have a stronger sense of smell. Things like that interested her and she ached to learn more.

But how long had it been since she and Reyn had gone out together. Just a week, surely? Or had it been longer? She looked at Reyn's imploring face and decided.

"Alright then. Just this once."

"Yes," said Reyn with a massive grin.

"But not if you're going to make a big fuss about it," Sharla added.

The park was quiet and peaceful as ever. Reyn chose a secluded spot under a big tree and plonked himself down on the grass. Sharla followed suit. It was a beautiful day, not too hot, not too cold and with that famous Colony 9 breeze. Sharla stretched out her long legs contentedly. She turned to Reyn, who had sprawled out his limbs in a manner that made him appear larger than ever.

"So, what have you been up to aside from bothering Melia?" she asked.

"I was just trying to help," he protested. "It ain't healthy, the way she's been working. I don't think she's slept properly for weeks."

"I am worried about her," agreed Sharla. "But I don't think there's much we can do."

"She's been avoiding Shulk too. Did something happen between those two?"

Sharla blinked, surprised. She forgot that Reyn could be surprisingly perceptive at times.

"No! It's probably just...circumstance," she said quickly. Reyn nodded and she relaxed.

"Hey, do you want some food?" he asked.

Sharla grinned, glad to be back on familar territory. "I am actually only here for the food. Potatoes don't come cheap you know."

"I'll buy you all the potatoes you want," Reyn said earnestly, and it sounded so funny to her that Sharla couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"What? _What_?"

"And how are you going to afford _that_?" spluttered Sharla.

"I'll have you know that I'm getting quite good at this fishing lark!"

"Ah. And how is Juju getting on?"

"He's teaching me how to fish and I'm teaching him how to fight. We're a dream team!"

Reyn smacked his fists together to illustrate how much of a 'dream team' he thought they were. Sharla loved the fact that Reyn got on with her little brother. He handed her a bread roll and a chunk of fish. Sharla accepted gratefully.

"Just don't go getting into trouble, alright?" she said around a mouthful of bread.

"As if!" scoffed Reyn. "What's an itsy bitsy Bunnit going to do against the likes of_ us_. We beat God, remember!"

"Hmm. We musn't get careless," said Sharla. She still didn't quite understand what had happened when Shulk had beaten Zanza. She knew they had won the war. But they had lost many battles. Egil and Meyneth were lost. Pure blooded High Entia were wiped out completely. Dickson was gone. So was Alvis. The Bionis itself had collapsed, leaving many mourning their homes. There was a great deal of grief left in the world. That's why Sharla enjoyed being with Reyn- it was impossible to feel down after spending time with him. He was just an optimistic kind of person.

They devoured the food greedily. Sharla had to give Reyn credit-she knew he could have easily eaten the lot himself, but he had been careful to make sure she'd gotten an equal share.

Reyn lay right down after he'd finished eating.

"Me, Shulk and Fiora used to play this random game where we pointed out shapes in the clouds. Wanna play?"

"I am not five," said Sharla, but she lay down too.

"That one looks kinda like the Monado," said Reyn tracing a cloud.

"It's too puffy to be the Monado," said Sharla critically.

"What is it then?"

"A Nopon. Obviously. See, that bit's one of them funny hats."

Reyn peered at the cloud in question. He realised he couldn't see the Monado anymore. He could only see a Nopon in a funny hat. A thought occured to him and being Reyn, he didn't keep thoughts to himself.

"Sharla, is this a date?"

The question was so frank and sudden that it caught Sharla off guard. She swallowed. She thought of Gadolt. She thought of Juju. She thought of Reyn and all the things he had done for her. There was a short silence.

"...I think this could count for a date, yes."

"Right. Great," said Reyn. He was aiming to pull off an air of not-really-bothered. But the grin just would not stay suppressed.

"Hmph. No need to look so smug."

"I am not smug. I'm just...happy. Aren't you happy?"

"I think I could be. When things calm down a bit."

"Hey, if you want me to have a word with your boss and say you can't work for so long then-"

"That's OK, Reyn. But thanks. Thanks for everything."

"Anytime, Sharla."


End file.
